(a) Field
This description relates to the field of construction materials. More particularly, this description relates to fasteners for fastening sheet type construction siding to a surface of a building.
(b) Related Prior Art
Usually, building sidings are made of an alignment of siding sheets laterally joined to cover a side or a portion of a side of a building. Siding sheets can be made of metal, plastics or other composite materials. Siding sheets are designed for protection of the exterior of a building while acting as a design element. Siding sheets can be disposed at any angle with respect to the ground.
Traditionally, siding sheets are perpendicularly nailed to studs disposed on the wall. Two or more workers are necessary to position a siding sheet and to nail it. Most often, especially for genuine siding sheets, nails are used to install the sheets using a manual hammer. A pneumatic or electrical hammer will often split the sheet. Also, sheets must be parallel to each other, so a line must be drawn on the wall regularly to keep them all level. Moreover, ends of a sheet must be cut to correspond to a stud.
Some systems allow nailing additional individual pieces to walls by pneumatic or electrical hammer. Each additional piece has to be nailed individually and gradually as the installation of the siding sheets progresses. These pieces must also be individually aligned with each other horizontally.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,513 (Grigas et al.) describes an apparatus for applying metallic siding. The apparatus includes a plurality of uprights provided with a series of integral or secured clips. Each clip includes a portion extending outwardly away from its upright, then extending downwardly and formed to curve inwardly and reversely, terminating in an upward direction forming a hook with an upwardly opening bight. The clip is provided with many folding sections, which are folded, bent, punch or otherwise formed inwardly and outwardly toward the upright. This configuration of the clip does not provide an optimal strength to the clip during installation of the metallic siding on the apparatus. Additionally, the clip of U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,513 may comprise a base plate that is punched forming a rearwardly extending tongue to act as the hook as previously described. This punched section also reduces the optimal strength to the clip during installation of the metallic siding on the apparatus. This reduction in rigidity resulting from the void in the base plate results in an unnecessary thickness of the base plate. Hence, holes for installation of the apparatus must be pre-drilled or punched. The apparatus cannot simply be nailed in place.
There is therefore a need for improved fasteners for fastening sheet type construction siding.